Pre-Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a major event! If you have a plan for it, you can
make wise choices
that will benefit both your health and that of your baby. Good health before pregnancy
may lower the risk that either you of your baby will be exposed to things that could
be harmful. Also, getting good health care before you become pregnant will help
you throughout your pregnancy. At Habersham OB/Gyn we are here for
you every step
of the way. Please feel free to schedule a consultation with one of our providers
regarding your decision to become pregnant.

Are your immunizations up to date? Women in their reproductive
years should have
immunizations as a routine part of preventive care:

Tetanus-diptheria booster (every 10 years) Measles, Mumps, Rubella (once if not
immune) The following immunizations are need based. Your doctor will discuss with
you the need for these immunization should it become a factor.

Chicken Pox (once if not immune)

Hepatitis A vaccine

Hepatitis B vaccine

Influenza vaccine

Lyme disease

Pneumococcal vaccine

Food choices:

When making your food choices from each food group chose foods that are low in fat
and high in fiber.

Folic Acid: The vital vitamin

Women who might get pregnant should have 0.4 milligrams of folic acid daily.
Pregnant
women should have at least 0.4 milligrams each day during the first 3 months of
pregnancy. Folic Acid should be taken 1 month prior to pregnancy
and during the
first 3 months of pregnancy. Folic Acid can also be found in many
of food sources:
Dark, leafy greens and vegetables such as spinach, collard and turnip greens, romaine
lettuce, broccoli and asparagus. Whole-grain breads and cereals Citrus fruits and
juices such as strawberries, oranges and orange juice. Organ meats such as liver
needs dried peas and beans such as pinto, black, navy and lima, chickpeas and black-eyed
peas. Folic acid fortified breakfast cereal.

Keep Fit:

Good health depends on both a proper diet and exercise. If you follow a fitness
routine before you conceive, you can improve your chances of having a comfortable
and active pregnancy. The sports and exercise you can do during pregnancy depend
on your health and how active you were before you became pregnant. Swimming and
walking are good forms of exercise. Jogging, cycling, and some strenuous sports
may be fine during pregnancy if you are in shape and were used to them before you
became pregnant.

Avoid Alcohol, Tobacco and Illegal Drugs These substances can harm
both you and
your fetus. No amount of these substances have been proven safe during pregnancy.
Using alcohol and illegal drugs may cause damage that can last a lifetime. These
substances can be linked to problems such as mental retardation and birth defects.
Cigarette smoking can cause premature birth, low birth weight, premature rupture
of membranes, and problems with the placenta. The risk of the baby dying from sudden
infant death syndrome (SIDS) also increases. For the sake of your own health and
that of your baby, now is a good time to quit your use of alcohol, tobacco, and
illegal drugs. If you find it is too hard to quit, at least cut down your use.
If
you need help the staff at Habersham OB/Gyn is here to help.

Conception

For healthy, young couples, the odds of becoming pregnant during any one menstrual
cycle are about 20%. This figure starts to decline in a woman's late 20s and decreases
even more after the age of 35. A man's fertility also decreases with age but not
as early. Ovulation is the release of an egg from one of the ovaries. Ovulation
occurs about 14 days after the first day of your last period in an average 28 day
cycle. Once the egg is released it can become fertilized for about up to 24 hours.
Conception can occur if you have sex during or near the time of ovulation. When
a man ejaculates during sex, his semen is released into the vagina. Semen is the
fluid that carries the sperm. Sperm travel up through the cervix and out into the
tubes. Sperm can live in the woman's fallopian tubes for more than 3 days. If the
sperm and the egg meet, fertilization occurs. The fertilized egg then moves through
the tube into the uterus. It becomes attached and begins to grow.

Pre Conception Care

The aim of preconception care is to improve the health of women of reproductive
age before conception, thereby improving pregnancy outcomes. Ideally, preconception
care begins several months prior to attempting pregnancy. The counseling
helps educate
women so they cab be emotionally and physically prepared and healthy for pregnancy.
It also addresses a woman's fertility status. Women with irregular periods may have
more difficulty becoming pregnant.

Low birth weight, premature birth and infant mortality continue to occur at increased
rates and evidence suggests that risk reduction efforts be started prior to conception.
This includes changing/modifying behaviors, health conditions or risk factors that
can lead to adverse outcomes. Any woman being treated for a medical disorder such
as sickle cell anemia/diabetes/heart disease/hypertention/autoimmune disease/thyroid
disease will benefit from counseling to insure her disease process is under control
and change medicines that might adversely affect the fetus.

Not all women with special issues need preconception counseling. All women should
take prenatal vitamins with folic acid prior to conceiving to reduce the risk of
natal tube defects. The recommended amount of folic acid is 400 micrograms
daily
advises the Centers for Disease Control and the March of Dimes. All women need to
know their options regarding genetic counseling and be able to discuss their readiness,
financially and emotionally, to an anticipated pregnancy.

Prior to pregnancy women should be at a healthy weight and exercise regularly and
make sure all immunizations and health screening are up to date.

The period of greatest environmental sensitivity for the developing fetus is
between
17-56 days after fertilization. For this reason, by the time pregnancy
is suspected
the insult to the fetus and development are already affected. Therefore, alcohol/tobacco/non-prescription
drug use needs to be discontinued.

The preconception visit includes a physical exam, review of medical history, review
of family's medical background, questions about diet and social habits, review of
the past pregnancies, birth control use, medications and immunizations, blood work
to check for antibodies that protect from contracting Rubella (German Measles)/Hepatitis
B and referral for genetic counseling if needed. HIV and STD screening is also offered.

Even if risk factors are identified, a healthy baby is the rule rather than
the
exception. Many adverse outcomes are multi-factorial and not explainable.
With advanced
planning and screening, you can experience pregnancy as a normal, joyous time with
less stress and greater anticipation.

Disclaimer:
The information on the Habersham OB/GYN web pages is provided for educational purposes
only. You should consult a qualified health care provider if you have a question
about your particular medical condition.

Please feel free to email us We will respond
as soon as possible.
However, in an emergency situation, please do not email us. Call the office or 911
immediately, so that your emergency may be handled in a responsible amount of time.